How to be prepared for a terrorist attack...
"On the first day of class my ninth-grade algebra teacher told us some former students who had served in World War II visited her when they returned home. One young man said that she had taught him many things, but she had not taught him how to die--a lesson he had badly needed in war. Our teacher explained to us how she vowed that would never happen again and proceeded to write the plan of salvation on the blackboard. Like everyone else, I was speechless. Her boldness and unashamed love for God (and us) impressed me during my teenage years. Even as a grandmother today, I recall her when I am reluctant to tell others about Jesus. I am reminded that many have never been told how to die."
—Benneta Parks
Dickinson, Texas
How
to be sure you are going to Heaven when you die.
Having been raised in several churches as a
child, I was confused about what was required of me to go to Heaven. Every
church seemed to be saying something different, and I could not figure out who
was right.
One day, when I was 16, a friend of mine
asked me if I knew for sure I was going to Heaven. I said, "I've been
baptized 2 times, catechized, pasteurized and homogenized, what else is
there?"
He said, "That is not what I asked you.
Do you know if you are going to Heaven?"
I said, "No."
He said, "Would you like to know?"
I said, "Yes, I would."
He took his Bible and explained the way God
has provided for sinful man to be cleansed and go to Heaven. There is only one
way to Heaven. Some teach that all religions lead to Heaven. This is a lie of
the Devil to keep people from learning the truth.
You (and I) have
broken God's laws and commandments. This is called sin. God is a perfect God and
cannot allow even one sin or sinner to enter Heaven. Because He is Holy and Just
He cannot look on sin. So God had a problem. He loves you and wants you to live
with Him but your sin makes that impossible.
The only thing that
can pay for sin is death. In the Old Testament it was the death and blood of the
lamb that covered their sins from God's eyes. So God Himself became a man
(Jesus) and died on the cross in your place. He is called "The Lamb of
God" in the Bible. However, this lamb was different. His blood does not
cover your sins, it washes them away forever! The only problem now is how can I
get the blood of Jesus put on my sin account.
An illustration may help here: Suppose you
had murdered someone and were standing before the judge being tried for your
crime. The judge must be fair and obey the law so he pronounces you guilty and
sentences you to death for your crime. Then, the judge takes off his robe, steps
down to where you are and says, " I love you. I don't want you to die. I
will take your punishment for you. I will die in your place. This is the only
way the law can be satisfied and you get set free at the same time. This is what
God did. We were guilty of sin and deserving of death but He took our
place." Now, His blood can pay for our sin if we ask Him to save us. All we
need to do is believe that He died for us (and rose from the dead) and receive
His free gift of eternal life.
You received a free gift of physical life
from your parents. You did not pay for it, work for it or deserve it. They did
the work, paid the bills and went through the pain so you could get the free
gift of life. Jesus did the work, went through the pain and paid your sin
debt so you could have eternal life. Romans 6:23 says: "For the wages of
sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord." Jesus once told a man in John 3:3, "Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The way you get "born again" and become God's child is by receiving
Him. John 1:12 says: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" The way to
receive Him is to call and ask for His forgiveness and salvation. The Bible says
in Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall
be saved." I called on the Lord and asked Him to save me Feb. 9, 1969.
That is my birthday into God's family.
Getting born into a human family or God's
family only takes a few moments and requires the work of someone else, growing
up in either family takes a long time and requires effort on our part. Just as
you need to eat, rest, exercise, etc., to grow as a human, you need to: 1. Read
your Bible (II Peter 2:2), 2. Pray, talk to God like your father 3. Go to a
church that believes and teaches the Bible, 4. Get baptized to show others you
have been saved, and 5. Tell others about Jesus. These will help you grow in the
family of God.
Many people try to do the things that make
Christians grow when they have never been born into God's family first. Some
churches even teach that our works somehow make us acceptable to God. Nothing
could be further from the truth. Isaiah 64:6; "But we are all as an unclean
thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;" Eph. 2:8-9;
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Titus 3:5;
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us," The Bible is clear that nothing we can do can save us,
help save us or keep us saved.
There is no magic prayer, God knows and sees
your thoughts and motives, but if you would pray sincerely a prayer like this
you could claim God's promise of eternal life: "Dear Lord Jesus, I am a
sinner. I have broken your laws and stand before you guilty and deserving of
your judgment. Please forgive me and save me right now. I receive you as my
Savior."
If you prayed that prayer from your heart,
God promised He would forgive your sin and take you to Heaven. Write today’s
date in your Bible to remember this day as your birthday into God's family.
Then, begin doing the things that help you grow as God's child.
A few illustrations may help explain what
receiving Christ means:
The
seed and the dirt.
When you put a seed in the dirt it will grow
a tree (or plant). Dirt is 100% stupid. It does not know how to grow a tree, the
seed knows how to grow a tree. If the seed is left on the kitchen counter it
will not grow. A seed left on top of the ground will not grow. The dirt must
receive the seed. The two work together in a marvelous way. The seed grows and
the dirt simply provides a place for it to grow.
Jesus is like the seed. He knows how to make
a new person in us, we do not. We are like the dirt, all we need to do is
receive the seed and let Him grow in us. It is amazing to watch the changes that
happen to a person who receives Christ.
After a person becomes a child of God, it is
important to get involved in a good Bible-believing church. I have studied the
subject for years and feel that an independent Baptist Church like the one I go
to is closest to the church model given in the Bible. Of course there are good
ones and bad ones in many different denominations, so ask God to guide you. I
would be glad to answer any questions you may have as you grow in God's family.
Sincerely,
Kent Hovind
29 Cummings Rd
Pensacola, Florida [32503]
(850) 479-3466